Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-15

~ their achievements thrt they can now
eiycrd 10 bear the professional criticisms o!
their English friends In TIE same spirit tnit
We Britisbers have learnt TO read Oh tne
many dciests inflicted upon our arms ny
General Washington.
sUBoRDrNATEs.
What most strikes the regular soldier 10
these campaigns Of General Lee Is the met
fcIent manner in which both he and ms
opponsnts were often served by their SUD
ordinate commanders, and bow badly t,e
staff and outpost work generally was per-
formed on both sides. II Is most difficult
10 move with an effective precision young
armies constituted as these were during
this war. The direction and movement Oh
large bodies Of newly-raised troops, even
when victorious, IL never easy, Is often
Impossible. over and over again was The
south apparently "within stones throw
OF ndepeDdence," as 1t has oeen many
times remarked, when, from want OF Il
thoroughly good staG to orglntze pur-
suit, the occasion was lost, and the
enemy allowed to escape. Lees CON-
bIuations 10 secure victory we're the con
ceptlon OF a truly great strateeist, and,
when they had been effected. his tactics
were also almost always everything that
could be desired up to the mopent OF We
tory. but there his action seemed to stopa6
ruptly. Was ever on army so hopele'sly az
the mercy OF another as that OF Mcclellan
when he began his retreat to Harrison's
Landing after the seven days fighting
round Richmond? What COMMANDER could
wish to have his foe 10 Tighter place"
than Burnside was In after his disastrous
attack upon Lee at Fredericksburg Yet
in boz b instances the northern commander
got safely away, and other similar instances
could be mentioned. The critical military
student OF this war who knows the
rover which regular troops, we'll otli
cered and well directed by tho
roughly efficient staff, place in the
hands OF an able general, and who has
acquired an intimate and complete know.
ledge OF what these two contendng Ame-
rican armies were really like, will, think,
agree that from Grst to last the cooperation
OF even one army corps OF regular troops
would have given complete victory to
whichever side It fought on. ] felt this
when | visited the South, and during the
progress Of the war heard the same opin-
ion expressed by many others who had in
specled the coniending armies. / say this
with no wish to detract IN any way from
the courage or other fighting qualities OF
the troops engaged. yield to none in my
admiration OF their wlrlIke achievements;
but cannot blind myself to the hyperbOle
OF writers who refer to these armies as the
finest that have ever existed
NO BITTER FEELING.
Those who knew how difficult 1t is to
supply our own m liia and volunteer forces
with efficient officers can appreciate what
difficulties General Lee had to overcomein
the formation OF the army he so often led
10 victory. He had about him able assist.
ants, who, like himself, had received an
excellent military education at West Point
TO the experienced soldier 1t Is no natter
OF surprise, but to the generalreader II will
be OF interest TO know that, on either side IN
this war. almost every general whose name
will be RENT mbered In the future bad been
educated at that military school, and had
been trained In the old regular army OF the
United States. In talking TO me Of all the
Federal generals Lee mentioned Mcclellan
with most respect anu regard. He spoke
bitterly OF nOne-a remarkable fact, as at
that time men on both sides were wont 10
heap the most violent terms OF abuse upon
their respective enemies. He thus reproved
a clergyman who had spoken in his sermon
very bitterly OF their enemies - | have
fought against the people OF the North be-
cause believed they were seeking TO wrest
from the South her dearest rights, but |
have never cherished towards them bitter
or vindctive feelings, and | have never
seen the day when did not pray for them"
[ asked him how maDy men he had ut the
battle OF Antietam, from which he had then
recently returned. He said he had never
had, during that whole day, more than
about 10000 men in line, although be had
behind him small army Of tired troops
and Of shoeless sragslers who never came
uD during the battle He estimated slc-
Clelan's army at about 100000 men. A
friend OF mine. who at that same time was
at the Federal headquarters. there made
similar inquiries. General McClellau's re-
ply corroborated the correctness OF Lees
estimate OF the Federal numbers at Ante.
tsm, but be said be thought the Confederate
amy wss little stronger than that under
has command. / mention this because both
those generals were most truthful men,
and whatever they stated can be implicitly
Ielied on. | also refer to it because the
usual proportion throughout the war be.
tween the cOntcnding sides in each acton
ranged iro@ about twice TO three times
more Federals than there were COniede-
rates engaged. With reference to the rea-
tive numbers employed on both sides, the
following amusing story was told 10, me at
the time. A deputation from some OF
the New England States had attended
at the White House and laid their
business before the President. As
they were leaving Dir. Lincoln's room
one Of the delegates turued round
and SAID Mr.. President, | should very
much like TO know what you reckon 10 be the
Dumber Ct rebels In arms against u.s." Mr..
Lincoln, without a moments hesitation,
replied: "Sr, | have the best possible
on for knowing the number TO be one
million OF men, for whenever one OF our
generals engages rebel army be reports
that be has encountered a force twice bis
strength; now. / know we have hall a
million OF soldiers in the field, so am
bound to believe the rebels have twice thai
number
As a student Of war | would iain liagtr
over the interesting lessons to be learned
from Lees campaigns of the same race as
both belligereDts, could with tue utmost
pleasure dwell upon the MANY brilliant
feats OF arms on both sides; but cannot do
so here.
THE END.
The end came at last, when the well.sup.
piled North, rich enough to pay recruits,
no matter where they came from, a bounty |
OF over five huLdIed dollars head, tri.
umphed over an exhausted South. hemmed |
in on all sides, and even cut of from all |
communication with the outside world. |
The desperate though drawn battle Of Get |
~ sbure was the dealh-knCll Of southern in |
dep, ndence; and Genera Sherman's splen- |
Old but almost unopposed march to the sea |
showed the word that All further resistance |
on The part Of the Confederate states could |
only be pr0iitless waste Of blood. Ia The |
thrriy.fve days OF fe htiUg near Richm)nd |
which ended the war Of 1865, Generll Grants |
army numbered one hundred and nine.y |
that OF Lee only ffty.one thou
sand men. Every man lost By toe former |
was easily replaced, but an exhausted |
south could ind no more soldiers. "The |
night OF seli.g0yernment," which Wash
Ington won, and for which Lee fought, was
no longer TO he watchw0rd TO stir mems
blood IN the United States. The South was
humbled and beaten by its own flesh and
blood in the North. and it Is difficult 10
snow which 10 admire most, the good sense
With which the result vas accepted in the 20.
called Confederate States, or the wise mag
displayed by the vici0rs. The
wounds are now healed on both sides:
northeTners and sOutberners are nov once
more united people, with future before
h' IN to which no other nation can aspire.
- I. 4.